Grand Theatre, Blackpool – until Saturday 27 September 2025
Reviewed by Debra Skelton
5*****
The Shawshank Redemption has landed at the Grand Theatre Blackpool and will be showing until Saturday 27th September.
This adapted production by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns is based on the 1994 film ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ which itself was based on the 1982 Stephen King novella ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’. It is presented by Bill Kenwright Ltd and directed by David Esbjornson.
As this film is a firm favourite of mine, I was really looking forward to seeing how this was portrayed on the stage and the only word I can say is GRIPPING.
The story of The Shawshank Redemption is around a banker named Andy Dufresne who has been wrongly accused of not only murdering his wife but that of her lover too. He protests his innocence but is still sent to the notorious Shawshank Penitentiary where he is expected to serve two life sentences.
Whilst in prison, Andy realises that he cannot survive alone and ends up befriending an inmate Ellis Redding, better known as ‘Red’ (prison fixer & contraband smuggler) so things start to change for the better for Andy.
However, due to Andy’s excellent accounting skills, Warden Stammas unfortunately decides to intimidate him into helping with his illegal money-laundering schemes, so Andy therefore decides that he needs to escape the notorious position.
Over two decades, through the wall in his cell, he secretly digs a tunnel with a small rock hammer where he eventually through the sewage system escapes the hell hole of a prison that he has been incarcerated in which enables him to expose the warden’s corruption.
Andy now with a false identity has the chance to retrieve the laundered money, fleeing to Mexico where is eventually reunited with a paroled Red.
Joe McFadden as Andy Dufresne was outstanding and his performance around the characters endurance and unrelenting hope drew you in especially when his resolve finally flared (amazing to watch). Ben Onwukwe’s ‘Red’ counterbalanced the character of Andy where he came through with a deeply personal presence and his narration with humanity and humour helped to ground the story with a glimmer of hope (superb). Bill Ward’s Warden Stammas was gripping to watch as he was not only charming but cruel at the same time and with his chilling authority, was unsettling at times to watch (well crafted).
The ensemble were equally outstanding with Keneth Jay as Brooksie, Graham Elwell as Hadley, Jeffrey Harmer as Entwistle, Sean Kingsley as Bogs Diamond, Ashley D Gayle as Rooster, Fernando Mariano as Rico, Owen Oldroyd as Dawkins, Kyle Harrison-Pope as Tommy Williams and Aein Nasseri as Nelson. Their distinctive presences helped to turn the life in the Penitentiary as a living, breathing chorus of desperation, menace, and fleeting humour so well done.
Special thanks are also needed to Tim Welton Associate Director, Gary McCann for creating such an adaptable set and for the costumes, Chris Davey for lighting, Andy Graham for sound and Alison De Burgh as Fight Director.
The Shawshank Redemption is a superb production with a standing ovation from the audience at the end attesting to this.